The city’s budget for 2012-13 was quietly approved in April by the budget committee and included the elimination of five jobs.

Four
of those positions -- a front desk receptionist, police officer, court
clerk and court administrative assistant -- were either already vacant
or made vacant by transferring employees into other departments,
according to an internal memo.

Tom Nelson, who was in the $87,000-per-year job as economic development manager, was the only layoff.

The two court positions were cut because traffic tickets have plummeted in the city, finance director Craig Gibons said.

In
2009-10, fewer than 4,000 court violations were processed by the city.
The following year, it doubled to more than 8,000. For 2012-13, the city
anticipates about 5,000 tickets.